Tony winner Christopher Ashley will direct the musical penned by Memphis’ Joe DiPietro and David Bryan.

Princess Diana

La Jolla Playhouse will present the world premiere of Diana, about the life of the late Princess Diana, during its 2018–2019 season.

Joe DiPietro, David Bryan, and Christopher Ashley
Monica Simoes

An early version of Diana, from the Tony-winning Memphis team of Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and David Bryan (music and lyrics), was presented this past summer as part of the Reading Festival at Vassar & New York Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Theater. La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director and 2017 Tony winner Christopher Ashley, who also helmed Memphis, directs.

“One of the best things about La Jolla Playhouse is the way it serves as an artistic home to which amazing artists return again and again to develop their work,” said Come From Away Tony winner Ashley in a statement. “Among my favorite long-time collaborators are Joe DiPietro and David Bryan—their new musical brings to the stage one of the greatest cultural icons in modern history, and I can’t wait to share it with Playhouse audiences next season.”

Diana is set in 1981—as the world prepares for a royal wedding and Princess Diana balances her own modern perspective and an unmovable monarchy against the backdrop of constant media scrutiny.

The piece will join four previously announced plays for the 2018–2019 season: the world premieres of Robert Askins’ The Squirrels, Lindsey Ferrentino’s The Year to Come, and Will Power’s Seize the King, as well as the West Coast premiere of Martyna Majok’s queens.

Tickets to the upcoming season are currently available only through a subscription purchase; visit LaJollaPlayhouse.org or call (858) 550-1010.